Cullen pulls strings for City slickers as Bantams turn on style

Cullen pulls strings for City slickers as Bantams turn on style

JAMES Hanson has a new nickname thanks to the Peterborough local press – the Hulk.

Their pre-match preview recalled the way he had battered and bruised Posh during City’s incredible win on their last visit to London Road.

But the only tinge of green from Saturday was probably envy from the home quarters at the slick manner in which the Bantams chalked up a first win under Stuart McCall’s second watch.

Traditionally derided for what many saw as the direct approach of launching long balls at Hanson, this City look a different breed.

The power game that blew Peterborough away six months earlier has been tweaked into something far easier on the eye.

Of course, Hanson is still a valuable outlet and one capable of causing consternation in any central defence – Posh had their hands full with him once again.

But there is something more refined about the McCall model and the style of football is already earning plaudits in this fledgling campaign.

Anyone who uses Twitter will know that Peterborough owner Darragh MacAnthony needs no invitation to offer his opinion.

Having recently praised City over Romain Vincelot’s capture, MacAnthony took to social media after the game to highlight their “tasty football on the floor”. He was not wrong.

It helps when you can add another class operator into the mix and Josh Cullen oozed that on his latest return.

With tongue firmly planted in cheek, Stuart McCall described his performance as “all right” and then smiled as he revealed that he’d seen enough after ten minutes in training. Make no mistake, getting Cullen back is a massive coup and the City chief knows it.

A week on from holding his own against the aristocrats of Juventus, Cullen was pulling the strings against Posh.

If anything, he looked a more powerful version of the player who grabbed City’s late season by the scruff of the neck.

And McCall had given him the licence to get forward more. With teenager Danny Devine doing a very good shadowing job on Peterborough’s free spirit Marcus Maddison, Cullen and Nicky Law had the freedom to get on the ball and drive deep into enemy territory.

One shimmy and turn on the ball from the West Ham man even drew applause from home supporters.

The only blemish on Cullen’s day was an inexplicable miss soon after half-time, misplacing his shot the wrong side of the post as a goal surely beckoned.

Cullen could not believe it and held his head in his hands. Nor could anyone else but at least it proved that nobody is perfect.

Gilt-edged scoring misses has been the common theme of week one so perhaps we should not be too surprised.

But at least the boisterous travelling support had that elusive goal to celebrate.

The totaliser had clicked up to 211 minutes when Jerome Binnom-Williams, the left one of Peterborough’s two enormous full backs, gave the ball away on halfway.

Tony McMahon had the space to power forward before delivering the perfect cross for Jordy Hiwula to deftly deflect inside the near post.

The on-loan Huddersfield forward had been a voice of calm amid the internet panic that followed the Accrington Alamo – here was the evidence why.

Head of recruitment Greg Abbott is still working flat out to deliver the front-line striker that McCall wants by the end of the transfer window.

But it would be foolish to play down the prospects of the former Manchester City graduate who looks to be getting sharper with each appearance.

His partnership with Hanson was one of the many positives for McCall at a ground where City had never won before their last visit.

There were strong performances across the pitch in a win that was more comfortable than the result suggested.

Posh, admittedly, were poor. The reports that they had not been playing particularly well despite kicking off their season with back-to-back 3-2 wins were underlined by an unconvincing display that only really came to life in the frantic closing stages.

City had not been threatened up to that point but the slender margin of their lead was exposed when Shaquile Coulthirst’s pass slipped in Maddison behind the defence.

Colin Doyle, again pretty much a spectator, then justified his third clean sheet with a fine save round his left post.

A scramble or two followed but Vincelot blocked bravely from Jermaine Anderson’s point-blank blast and the points were secured.

It should not have been that close given the disparity between the two sides for 90 per cent of the afternoon.

With Peterborough operating in their usual diamond, McCall wanted his full backs to attack into the room in front of them. McMahon and James Meredith needed no second invitation.

The absence of Filipe Morais did not hinder the wide play with Mark Marshall seeing plenty of the ball and always willing to take on his marker.

The goal removed any mental shackles and City should have pushed on to increase their control.

Marshall was denied by the tightest of offside calls when he was bundled over in the box before Cullen should have converted another forward foray from McMahon.

If he keeps playing like this, the skipper is going to take some shifting once Stephen Darby is fit enough to return.

McMahon was at it again with a deep cross that Hanson could have done better with before Posh gave City their first warning sign with Michael Bostwick glancing a header over from Maddison’s free-kick.

The home side threw on extra attackers and City should have exposed the bigger gaps appearing on the break. Hanson twice went close and substitute Paul Anderson infuriated his manager by not shooting from a three-on-two counter.

But McCall was encouraged by the drive and hunger of his team to still be bombing forward so deep into the contest, something typified by Meredith’s regular appearance in the opposition box.

This was no smash-and-grab away win but one achieved with not just fitness but finesse.

This website and associated newspapers adhere to the Independent Press Standards Organisation's Editors' Code of Practice. If you have a complaint about the editorial content which relates to inaccuracy or intrusion, then please contact the editor here. If you are dissatisfied with the response provided you can contact IPSO here